So you just worked out. Are your dogs barking? Are your joints cracking jokes that you don’t find funny? We get it. Listening to your body and making necessary adjustments is key in staying on top of your health. Whether you’re recovering from an injury or realizing you’re no longer made of rubber, there are plenty of options for exercises that don’t take such a toll on your body.
Before we jump in, it’s worth mentioning that there are real benefits to high-impact exercise, the main one being increased bone density. One study found that 43.9% of adults in the U.S. experience low bone density, which can lead to osteoporosis. However, it has been shown that exercise can help reverse this, so let’s get to work!
High-intensity exercises are also great for joint health, because they help build up joint strength and stability. However, high-impact exercises might not be appropriate for everyone, so we are here with an explanation of what impact is, which exercises are considered high-impact, as well as some awesome low-impact alternatives.
What Exactly is “Impact”?
In exercise, impact can be thought of as the amount of force that is placed on your body during movements, especially on your bones and joints. Generally, exercises can be categorized as high-impact or low-impact. Be careful not to confuse this with intensity, which is a measure of how much the cardiovascular system (heart and lungs) are working. High-intensity means you’re breathing heavily with an elevated heart rate. Impact, on the other hand, refers to the skeletal system (bones and joints)– usually jumping is involved, but there are also times when upper body exercises or sports can be high-impact.
What is the difference between high-impact and low-impact?
Impact happens when your body comes into contact with a surface, usually the ground (because, gravity!). Even walking involves impact. Low-impact exercises are moves in which your body remains grounded throughout the exercise, meaning you always have at least one foot planted beneath you (ex. walking or a squat), or if you are doing an upper body exercise, you have one arm/hand grounded (ex. plank)
High-impact exercises are defined as moves in which both feet leave the ground at the same time (ex. squat jumps), or in the instance of an upper body move, both arms/hands leave the ground (ex. push-up with a clap).
When is a low-impact alternative a good idea?
Some people may have been instructed to avoid high-impact motions in their workouts. Perhaps there has been an injury and the recovery process requires some extra caution. Chronic pain can also get in the way of comfortably completing high-impact exercises. If you have pain in your lower body joints (hips, knees or ankles) when you jump or hop, stick with low-impact alternatives for the lower body. If there is any pain in your shoulders, elbows or wrists when you hold a plank, avoid high-impact exercises for the upper body.
Which Exercises are High-Impact?
High-impact exercises are those in which you leave the ground with both feet or hands at the same time. What goes up must come down, and that is when the impact happens – when you return to the ground. Some high-impact exercises can cause your joints to feel up to 3x your body weight as direct force when you make contact with the ground. Luckily, there are things you can do to mitigate the effects of these forces, such as choosing alternative movements when needed.
Running
Running is considered high-impact because both feet are not always on the ground. When the foot hits the pavement or treadmill belt with each step, there is impact on the body, especially the bones of the feet, ankles, shins (tibia and fibula) and knees.
Exercises with Jumps/Hops
Due to the nature of jumping being an explosive upward motion, and the fact that gravity pulls your body back down to the ground, jumps are a classic example of high-impact exercise. The most impact is exerted on the body when you land. Examples include squat jumps, jumping jacks, and jumping rope.
Plyometrics
Plyometrics refers to a specific type of exercise training that involves explosive movements, and includes upper body, lower body, as well as full-body exercises. These are often incorporated into high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts because they are great at elevating the heart rate. Examples of plyometric movements are push-ups with clap, mountain climbers, box jumps and burpees.
Low-Impact Alternatives
If you’re looking for alternatives to high-impact exercises, you’re in the right place! In general, adapting a movement to make it low-impact will involve slowing it down and removing the explosive portion of the movement.
Running
Is it possible to get the cardiovascular benefits of running without the impact on the body’s bones and joints? The answer is a resounding YES! Low-impact alternatives for running can still bring your heart rate up and give you the feel-good endorphin rush also known as “runners high”. Classic examples of alternatives include cycling, the elliptical, or using the stair climber.
Exercises with Jumps/Hops
Substituting jumping exercises for lower-impact movements will allow you to still work those lower body explosive muscles without the force effects of landing after the jump.
- Instead of squat jumps, try squat to calf raise. This exercise requires you to “power up” from the squat position right into a tip-toe position, which will give a similar effect as a squat jump, without the hard landing. This move is high-intensity without being high impact.
- Instead of jumping jacks, try side steps. Your ankles will still get the benefit of being strengthened and you’ll also feel your heart rate increase, without the jump.
- Instead of jumping rope, do a lateral floor run. This is a fantastic option for a general conditioning move that targets the side muscles of the legs, which frequently get forgotten in workouts.
Plyometrics
Plyometric exercises pack a major punch thanks to their explosiveness. It is possible to still be explosive without leaving the ground (and therefore, having to land with impact).
- Instead of push-ups with a clap, try a power push-up, which can be done in a full plank position (from the toes) or from a kneeling plank position. Lower down toward the ground in a slow, controlled way, and when you push back up, go as fast as you can but leave your hands on the ground. Doing these in fast succession with little rest will deliver a similar effect as doing a full clap push-up!
- Instead of mountain climbers, try deadbugs. A deadbug is completed lying on your back, either with your bodyweight or you can also choose an option where you hold a weight in one hand. As you lower one arm and leg toward the ground in an extended fashion, you’ll hold your other arm and leg steady in position using your core muscles.
- nstead of box jumps, try step-ups. Your glutes will be activated but since you always have one foot on either the box or the ground, there is low-impact on your body as compared to the box jump.
- To make a burpee low-impact, use a box and do a modified box burpee. Here, you’ll step back instead of jump back into an elevated plank position, and then step back up to a full-stand position to complete the rep.
As always, the key to success is finding something that works for you, and sticking with it! Don’t forget, if you’re looking for additional support, motivation and/or knowledge, stop into your local Anytime Fitness where a Coach is ready to help! Just by being you and investing in your health, you’re making a positive influence in the world–low or high!
